Picture : ANI/X
India’s Diwali sales touched a record Rs 6.05 lakh crore — comprising Rs 5.40 lakh crore in goods and Rs 65,000 crore in services — buoyed by the recent GST reform and strong consumer sentiment, traders’ lobby CAIT said .
According to media reports, The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) based its findings on a nation-wide survey across 60 major distribution centres including state capitals and Tier 2 & 3 cities conducted by its research wing.
Last year, the Diwali sales stood at Rs 4.25 lakh crore, according to CAIT.
Mainline retail — particularly non-corporate and traditional markets — contributed 85 per cent to the total trade, underscoring a powerful comeback of India’s physical markets and small traders, CAIT stated.
Sector wise percentage of sales of prominent festive items included Grocery & FMCG 12 per cent, Gold & Jewellery 10 per cent, Electronics & Electricals items 8 per cent, Consumer Durables 7 per cent, Ready-made Garments 7 per cent, Gift Items 7 per cent, Home Décor 5 per cent,Furnishing & Furniture 5 per cent, Sweets & Namkeen 5 per cent, Textiles & Fabrics 4 per cent, Pooja Articles 3 per cent, Fruits & Dry Fruits 3 per cent, among others.
CAIT National President B C Bhartia said services sector added Rs 65,000 crore to the sales from sectors such as packaging, hospitality, cab services, travel, event management, tent & decoration, manpower, and delivery.
Earlier, The air quality in Delhi plummeted post Diwali as residents flouted the Supreme Court-mandated time slots for bursting of firecrackers.
The city recorded its worst air quality on Tuesday since 2021, with PM2.5 levels reaching 488 micrograms per cubic metre in the 24 hours after Diwali, more than three times the pre-festival level of 156.6 micrograms per cubic metre.
In neighbouring Haryana too, the air quality deteriorated with the AQI falling in the ‘very poor’ category in many areas, including in Gurugram, while it was in the ‘poor’ category in most parts of Punjab.
According to an analysis of Central Pollution Control Board data covering the period from 2021 to 2025, PM2.5 values in Delhi consistently spiked during Diwali night and early the next morning, with the 2025 post-Diwali reading of 488 micrograms per cubic metre being the most polluted period since 2021.
